C172 student on cross country experienced radio failure and verbal conflicting communication from N9...

Attributes
ACN	593494
Time
Date	200309
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hpn.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pct.tracon tower : hpn.tower tracon : fai.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 32
ASRS Report	593494
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was going for my long cross country to pou. On my way, I called millville radio to activate my flight plan, but the lady there could not hear me as there was some radio problem, so I switched to the 2ND radio, the communication #2 box. Then she could hear me and I activated my flight plan. Then as directed by my instructors, I put in ny approach frequency on 127.6, but he didn't answer, so I thought that my radio was not working right, so I switched back to communication #1 box and called again, like 4 times, and I got no answer. I tried again and he answers and tells me that he did not have any time for me or VFR advisory. So I carried on. After a while, I hear nothing. All the xmissions on 127.6 were over is what I thought. So I called back thinking he can at least give me flight following. I call, but no one answered. I tried at least 6 times or more. That's when I realized my radios failed on me and I realized that without 2-WAY radios, I cannot enter pou, which is a class D airspace. So I plan to make a 180 degree turn to the left and go to greenwood lake, which is in uncontrolled airspace. This is when I got disoriented. Now I am lost without radios. I am flying straight and level, looking for an airport. Then I saw at a distance a big airfield. So I go close and it is an airport. I squawk 7600 in the transponder and then use my transceiver to call ny approach on 127.6 for help. But he refuses saying 'please don't call me, you are blocking my frequency.' then I say, I have a radio failure and he is very uncooperative. He screams at me so bad that I get more scared. I tried everything. I went low and rocked my wings near the tower, but I didn't get light gun signals. After a while, ny approach comes back to me and screams at me saying that I am at white plains and am blocking the traffic and asks me to call another frequency, which I don't remember well but I think it was 120.8. Then the man there calms me down and gets me to the ground. But what I can't believe that a controller in ny approach was using his power badly and even when I was in distress he asked me to leave and not call him. He scared me the most. I was trying to stay cool and not panic, but thanks to the controller, I got very scared and he kept telling me that don't call me even when he knew that I was in distress.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 STUDENT ON XCOUNTRY EXPERIENCED RADIO FAILURE AND VERBAL CONFLICTING COM FROM N90 CTLR WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE COM PROB AND BECOME REORIENTED.

Narrative: I WAS GOING FOR MY LONG XCOUNTRY TO POU. ON MY WAY, I CALLED MILLVILLE RADIO TO ACTIVATE MY FLT PLAN, BUT THE LADY THERE COULD NOT HEAR ME AS THERE WAS SOME RADIO PROB, SO I SWITCHED TO THE 2ND RADIO, THE COM #2 BOX. THEN SHE COULD HEAR ME AND I ACTIVATED MY FLT PLAN. THEN AS DIRECTED BY MY INSTRUCTORS, I PUT IN NY APCH FREQ ON 127.6, BUT HE DIDN'T ANSWER, SO I THOUGHT THAT MY RADIO WAS NOT WORKING RIGHT, SO I SWITCHED BACK TO COM #1 BOX AND CALLED AGAIN, LIKE 4 TIMES, AND I GOT NO ANSWER. I TRIED AGAIN AND HE ANSWERS AND TELLS ME THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ANY TIME FOR ME OR VFR ADVISORY. SO I CARRIED ON. AFTER A WHILE, I HEAR NOTHING. ALL THE XMISSIONS ON 127.6 WERE OVER IS WHAT I THOUGHT. SO I CALLED BACK THINKING HE CAN AT LEAST GIVE ME FLT FOLLOWING. I CALL, BUT NO ONE ANSWERED. I TRIED AT LEAST 6 TIMES OR MORE. THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED MY RADIOS FAILED ON ME AND I REALIZED THAT WITHOUT 2-WAY RADIOS, I CANNOT ENTER POU, WHICH IS A CLASS D AIRSPACE. SO I PLAN TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN TO THE L AND GO TO GREENWOOD LAKE, WHICH IS IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. THIS IS WHEN I GOT DISORIENTED. NOW I AM LOST WITHOUT RADIOS. I AM FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL, LOOKING FOR AN ARPT. THEN I SAW AT A DISTANCE A BIG AIRFIELD. SO I GO CLOSE AND IT IS AN ARPT. I SQUAWK 7600 IN THE XPONDER AND THEN USE MY TRANSCEIVER TO CALL NY APCH ON 127.6 FOR HELP. BUT HE REFUSES SAYING 'PLEASE DON'T CALL ME, YOU ARE BLOCKING MY FREQ.' THEN I SAY, I HAVE A RADIO FAILURE AND HE IS VERY UNCOOPERATIVE. HE SCREAMS AT ME SO BAD THAT I GET MORE SCARED. I TRIED EVERYTHING. I WENT LOW AND ROCKED MY WINGS NEAR THE TWR, BUT I DIDN'T GET LIGHT GUN SIGNALS. AFTER A WHILE, NY APCH COMES BACK TO ME AND SCREAMS AT ME SAYING THAT I AM AT WHITE PLAINS AND AM BLOCKING THE TFC AND ASKS ME TO CALL ANOTHER FREQ, WHICH I DON'T REMEMBER WELL BUT I THINK IT WAS 120.8. THEN THE MAN THERE CALMS ME DOWN AND GETS ME TO THE GND. BUT WHAT I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT A CTLR IN NY APCH WAS USING HIS PWR BADLY AND EVEN WHEN I WAS IN DISTRESS HE ASKED ME TO LEAVE AND NOT CALL HIM. HE SCARED ME THE MOST. I WAS TRYING TO STAY COOL AND NOT PANIC, BUT THANKS TO THE CTLR, I GOT VERY SCARED AND HE KEPT TELLING ME THAT DON'T CALL ME EVEN WHEN HE KNEW THAT I WAS IN DISTRESS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

C172 student on cross country experienced radio failure and verbal conflicting communication from N90 controller while attempting to resolve communication problem and become reoriented.